Medvedev to hold meeting on budget expenditure on sports

The government expects the implementation of the new federal programme to create by 2020 conditions for involving at least 40% of the Russian population to systematic physical training and sports

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MOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will hold a meeting on Tuesday on the federal budget expenditures for 2016 and the planning period of 2017-2018 in terms of physical training and sports, the Russian government’s press service reported.

Commenting on the government’s work on the draft federal budget for the next three years, Medvedev said previously that even in the current difficult financial conditions, "we should not cast doubt on the previously declared social sphere priorities."

Earlier this year, the prime minister has approved the federal target programme for the "Development of physical training and sports in Russia for 2016-2020" with the financing amount of 94.33 billion roubles ($1.66 billion). Most of the funds - almost 74 billion roubles ($1.30 billion) - will be spent from the federal budget, and the rest will be financed by the regions (almost 16 billion roubles) and from extra-budgetary sources (4.5 billion roubles).

The government expects the implementation of the new federal target programme to create by 2020 conditions for involving at least 40% of the Russian population - the average level of European states - to systematic physical training and sports.

The programme, in particular, provides for commissioning in Russian regions of 352 "low-budget sports facilities within reach." In addition, 200 new football fields with artificial turf are to be built and eight sports infrastructure facilities in Crimea are to be reconstructed.

The basic principle of the new programme is to ensure equal conditions and accessibility of physical training and sports facilities for all - regardless of age, income, disability or place of residence - in large cities, small towns or villages. "Therefore, another task of the new federal target programme is to narrow the gap among various Russian regions in terms of availability of sports facilities," said Medvedev, commenting on the programme.

According to him, the programme is also aimed at the development of the material-technical base for high performance sports, as well as creation of conditions for the training and preservation of the sports reserve.

The Russian government should present the draft federal budget for 2016 and the medium-term prospect to the State Duma lower house of parliament this autumn.